Re: Troublesome PVC's 10 months after the MAZE

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ MAZE Alumni Forum ]

Posted by Roger Meyer on June 21, 2002 at 22:28:11:

In Reply to: Re: Troublesome PVC's 10 months after the MAZE posted by John W. Gross on June 21, 2002 at 12:06:20:

John

Thanks for your comments about your experience. I too have had PVC's (at least that is what the cardiologist thought they were without clinical examination) periodically after the Maze and I had come to not be surprised when they occurred. What was different within the last ten days was that they were 1)so intense, 2)so frequent and persistent and 3) so really unsettling and uncomfortable during my BAD NIGHT when I thought I might even pass out when they were at their peak. It was the a-typicalness that got my attention.

Also, I failed to mention in my quick recovery summary in my post that in addition to the pericardial effusion that required surgery to correct, the staph infection, and the pleural effusion which did not require surgery or treatment, I developed a new condition of "foot drop" which led to an EMG and a determination that I had a condition of peripheral neuropathy (which was the cause of the foot drop). After further testing, the neurologist could not determine a specific cause for the neuropathy. However, I described to him some of my symptoms in the hospital after the pericardial effusion surgery and during the staph infection with the 6 weeks of antibiotic therapy and offered my suggestion that the cause might well be related to the length of time I was intubated and to my extreme illness with the staph infection and the antibiotic therapy. Some of those symptoms included my loss of penmanship...connecting letters in script, my loss of mobility...I could walk with great difficulty only a very short distance, and even standing upright was a challenge for a period of time.

Further, I have done some reading on neuropathy (which I had never heard of previously) and learned that in rare instances, in addition to foot drop and other sypmtom development, that body functions can also be impacted by neuropathy. I am now holding in reserve my question about whether the recent PVC activity might be in any way related and/or due to neuropathy. If the PVC condition persists or returns soon and the cardiologist cannot offer clear answers, I may ask my cardiologist to discuss the matter with the neurologist to rule in or rule out any possibility of connection.

Again, thanks for your comments, and this response has permitted me the opportunity to post to this board another dimension that developed during my Maze recovery. Comments from anyone who has had any similar related experience will be appreciated.

Roger

Follow Ups:


Post a Followup

Name    : 
E-Mail  : 
Subject : 

Comments:


Optional Link URL:  
Link Title:         
Optional Image URL:

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ MAZE Alumni Forum ]

WWWBoard 2.0a and WWWAdmin 2.0a © 1997, All Rights Reserved.
Matt Wright and DBasics Software Company